Norwich — The city received bids Friday from three firms interested in restoring the floors of City Hall to their original 19th-century, yellow pine wood condition — a project to be partially funded through a state historic preservation grant.

Bids opened Friday ranged from the low bid of $165,950 from Stamford firm Better Homes Bureau LLC to the $237,732 total by Norwich firm G. Schnip Construction.

Leed Construction LLC of Wallingford bid $179,100 for the project.

Norwich received a grant of $90,000 from the state Historic Preservation Office and must provide an equal match, for total project funding of $180,000, city Engineer Patrick McLaughlin said Friday.

The project calls for tearing up the crumbling black-and-white diamond pattern modern tile floor and replacing it with the yellow pine the building originally had.

McLaughlin said he was pleased that at least some of the bids came in within the project budget, but all proposals will be reviewed to make sure they meet all bid requirements.

The state Historic Preservation Office also must approve the selected contractor, McLaughlin said.

With winter approaching, city officials told contractors during a pre-bid conference that work likely wouldn't begin until spring; March at the earliest, McLaughlin said.

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